The water planning clock is ticking
By By Rep. Ronald Grantland, Guest Columnist
As rain continues to fall this summer, our lakes are full and the crops are high. Drought and the water shortage it spawned seem so long ago. However, water disagreements with our neighbor to the east remain, and now the clock is ticking for a resolution.
Last year, as the drought continued its dusty grip on the Southeast, the water dispute between Alabama, Georgia, and Florida took on enormous importance. Metro Atlanta uses the federal Lake Lanier as its primary water source, and for years it has been taking more than its fair share of that water, leaving downstream Alabama a little dryer than it should. Lakes dried up and water restrictions were imposed.
The drought highlighted the unabated thirst of Atlanta, the failure of Georgia to plan appropriately for the use of water, and the lack of a regional watershed agreement.
Our neighbor taking more than its fair share of water is a serious matter. Some of our most important rivers have their start in northern Georgia. Most notably are the Coosa, which is fed by Lake Lanier, the Tallapoosa, and the Chattahoochee that forms the border between our states and flows to the gulf in Florida.
These rivers create invaluable habitats, as well as critical economic and social resources. These rivers are the basis for some of Alabama’s largest lakes, from Lake Martin and Jordan in the south, to Lake Weiss in the north that are critical for our tourism industry. Mobile Bay relies on the water flow from these watersheds to maintain the port and act as a nutrient base for the gulf fisheries.
A substantial portion of the electricity generated in our state comes from hydropower from these river systems. It is the water supply for millions of Alabamians.
Even Alabama’s Great Seal is a map of the state’s rivers. So when Georgia began to draw more and more water from the sources of these watersheds, it posed a huge threat to our state. For nearly 20 years, we have been locked in a fight with Georgia over how to equitably share these water resources.
It got so ridiculous last year that the Georgia governor started what many believed to be saber rattling, talking about his state’s rights and such. There have been public spats between the two administrations about who is at fault in the failure of negotiations. Perdue’s gamesmanship continues to this day, where he recently sent a letter to Riley offering 40 potential dates for a meeting between August and November on the water issue. Talk about making a show of it.
The inability of coming to an agreement has not been without cost. Millions have been spent on litigation, with Georgia coming out on the losing end so far. Earlier in July, a federal judge ruled that Georgia has almost no legal rights to Lake Lanier, built as it was with federal funds, and has been illegally tapping into it for Atlanta. The judge also imposed a timeline: if in three years an agreement isn’t settled, then the court will impose one.
Alabama hasn’t stood idly by on its water rights. We have been making an effort to plan accordingly. Last year, the Legislature established the Alabama Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy and Management. The committee is taking stock of our resources and will come with recommendations for future measures. It will be the first statewide effort at water planning.
The recent drought certainly brought water issues to the forefront. Now that the rains have returned, it was possible to become complacent as we had in the past. However, this new court deadline will certainly spur our own state planning effort, and maybe a regional agreement for its use and sustainability.
